I highly recommend a visit to the Museum of Glass if you’re in the Tacoma, Washington area. The museum focuses on contemporary and Pacific Northwest glass art and is a wonderful way to spend a rainy day. The building, designed by Canadian architect Arthur Ericson, is quite beautiful to behold, with a 90-foot-tall stainless steel cone housing a hot shop filled with furnaces and glory holes. Artists work on glass pieces and give glass-blowing demonstrations as visitors watch on, mesmerized, from surrounding seats in the amphitheatre.
The grounds are also a visual delight, with a joyful glass sculpture by Martin Blank called ‘Fluent Steps’ celebrating the different stages of water from mist to waterfall, all dancing over a 210 foot reflecting pool in the main plaza outside the museum.
Exhibitions are a mix of permanent and visiting collections. During my visit yesterday I saw several very different collections. Population by Ray Turner features an array of portraits painted on glass.
Maestro is a collection of recent works by Lino Tagliapietra, who trained with the glass masters of Murano and is hailed as the greatest living glassblower. Just take a look at his work and you can see why.
One of the most imaginative exhibits was a series of glass sculptures designed by children and realised by visiting artists. Here are a few of my favourites.
The Sockness Monster
Polka-dot(t)ed strange creature
Star Raccoon
Snake on a pole
There was one other exhibit I took in yesterday; it was so stunning I am giving it a post all to itself – see here.
From Memorial Day to Labor Day the museum is open 7 days a week; the rest of the year, they close on Mondays and Tuesdays. Located at 1801 Dock St. Tacoma, WA 98402. Definitely check it out if you have a chance and if you’re feeling creative, you could even take a class.
Where's my backpack? 
Great post Ailsa!
Thanks Earth Beneath My Feet, it was such a beautiful museum! xxx
The fluent steps are so beautiful. I think I could look at them for hours.
Me too, Julie, it was really joyful! xxx
Thank you, thank you, thank you for highlighting this lovely area, and for not mentioning by name the renown Dale C. -who for many is all things glass in this area.
Haha. I abstained, Deb, there are so many wonderful artists out there. Lino Tagliapietra, coming up to 80 years old, still blows his own glass – I wonder when D C last did that?
Absolutely beautiful!
Amazing..
Absolutely beautiful! I am originally from Seattle, and have never heard of the musuem. I will have to see it on my next visit. I am hoping there will be a nice representation of Chihuly as well (even if he gets more than his share of press, I do enjoy his work!). Thanks for sharing this…
There’s a bridge of glass leading to the museum that was created by Chihuly, Carol. I think you’ll like it a lot. xxx
Your photographs of these amazing and beautiful works of glass art are absolutely stunning. How you did it with these results is art in itself. To me photographing glass is hard. I congratulate you on a job well done.
BE ENCOURAGED! BE BLESSED!
Haha, thanks Francine. Watching the glass artists in action made me appreciate the finery of the end product all the more, it’s such intricate work.
Amazing… 🙂
Thanks Drake 🙂
these are all fantastic! after seeing all of that ‘freshness’ it’s going to be hard to tweak my attention to the painting that’s waiting.. it’s almost finished, but it’s full of browns – pottery shards and such.
seeing these was a great visual delight! thanks, z
Oh Z, you would have been in heaven at this museum. xxx
i am sure i would love it! thanks for bridging the miles!
Whoa, those are awesome. I love glass art, every time I’m in Venice I go to Murano and get so mesmerized by their process I forget to take photos! ;o)
It’s absolutely fascinating to watch, isn’t it? Such an intricate process. One of the pieces being made yesterday shattered right at the end, so sad!
I’ve been to the outside of the museum and had a lot of fun. It’s gorgeous there! Great photos!!!
It’s a museum I would go back to over and over, Cee. They have a new exhibit coming in shortly that looks really great too! xxx
Those bronze coloured speary shapes are breathtaking!
I know, Gilly. They were huge too, couldn’t fit the little one at the end in my bag if I tried! 🙂
If I’m ever in Tacoma, this will be on my list of places to visit. Breathtaking, and beautifully captured Ailsa! – Suzan –
Definitely put it on your list, Suzan, it was stunning! xxx
I love the Maestro collection! So beautiful!
The teardrop shapes were my favourite, they were just so striking! 🙂
what a collection Ailsa – stunning images
I know, Jo, I didn’t want to leave, I was mesmerized!
Incredibly beautiful!
Great shots of these gorgeous glass collection! Thank you, Ailsa!
Yaay, glad you enjoyed my photos, Amy 🙂
What an amazing place and what amazing photos you have taken – so so Beautiful .. my favorite is The Sockness Monster . maybe not the most beautiful, but the most fun – we have some beautiful glassworks in Sweden, Swedish crystal from Orrefors, Kosta Boda … stunning … I would love to spend a day .. how could I missed this when I was in Seattle last summer, a good reason for going back. Thank you so much .. for sharing. You made my night so beautiful.
I loved the Sockness Monster too, viveka, it was adorable. Thanks for the info about the Swedish glass – I shall seek them out when I make it to Sweden! 🙂 xxx
http://www.orrefors.com/
http://www.kostaboda.se/
http://nybro-glasbruk.se/
Here is the links – enjoy!
Good stuff, viveka, I shall enjoy browsing these sites! xxx Ailsa
I love these photos!
the kids’ works of art are beautiful..
Such clever creations they came up with, I loved them all! 🙂
This is absolutely lovely!!
oh they are stunning, stunning, stunning! ^^
kids stuff was so fresh! I think the polka dotted strange creature is related to an elephant – no? What do you think it was?!
I’m pretty sure one of its parents was an elephant, Karen 🙂
Thanks for the photo tour! “The Sockness Monster.” What a great name. 🙂
That was my favourite too, Beth, it made me giggle 🙂
Absolutely beautiful!
I hope you don’t mind if I reblog your link on my reblog page?
Not at all, petit4chocolatier, thank you so much for reblogging! xxx Ailsa
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What beautiful works of art, Ailsa. I really love the children’s designs too. So creative and clever. 🙂
Aren’t they adorable? Such clever kids!
The Sockness Monster is Awesome!!! looking forward to reading your posts for some travel inspiration 🙂
Hurrah, welcome aboard the adventure, Cricket’s Aunty (love the name by the way!) xxx Ailsa
Thanks 🙂
I especially love the silly ones!
Did you know there’s a glass museum in Venice, on the island of Murano?
Me too, seductivevenice, the silly ones are so much fun! I have heard of the glass museum on Murano, but didn’t have a chance to visit when I was in Venice. It’s supposed to be amazing, have you been? xxx Ailsa
Awesome glass museum. I am happy that You presented Your beautiful photos here.
In Finland we have also nice glass museum:
Riihimäki glass museum.
Happy blogging!
Wow! Those are gorgeous! There are some incredibly talented people out there!!
I really appreciate how glass provides a beautiful medium in which to define space. Thanks for sharing!